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Port-au-Prince — travel, stays & events guide
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Port-au-Prince city overview
Port-au-Prince is a city in Haiti shaped by its region, population, local economy, landmarks, climate and civic history. This overview summarizes the city itself: where it sits, what defines it, which places anchor its identity and why it matters within the wider country.
City facts
Known forPort-au-Prince, Capital city in Haiti, Port-au-Prince planning base 3, Port-au-Prince planning base 4
RegionHaitiHaiti
Time zoneAmerica/Port-au-Princelocal time
Founded1749historical origin
City history
Thus, in 1749, a new city was built, Port-au-Prince The Place du Champ-de-Mars—the site of a number of historically notable structures in the centre of the city—was hit hard by the 2010 earthquake.
French colonial commissioner Étienne Polverel named the city Port-Républicain on 23 September 1793 "in order that the inhabitants be kept continually in mind of the obligations which the French Revolution imposed on them".
In 1804, it became the capital of newly independent Haïti.
When Jean-Jacques Dessalines was assassinated in 1806, Port-au-Prince became the capital of the mulatto-dominated south (Cap-Haïtien was the capital of the black-dominated north).
It was re-established as the capital of all of Haiti when the country was unified again in 1820 Port-au-Prince was the centre of the political and intellectual life of the country and is the.
Other notable landmarks include the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the adjacent colonial cathedral, both of which also collapsed in the 2010 earthquake, and the National Archives, National Library, and National Museum. Foundation of.
It was later renamed back to Port-au-Prince by Jacques I, Emperor of Haiti.
When Haiti was divided between a kingdom in the north and a republic in the south, Port-au-Prince was the capital of the republic, under the leadership of Alexandre Pétion.
Henri Christophe renamed the city Port-aux-Crimes after the assassination of Jacques I at Pont Larnage (now known as Pont-Rouge, and located north of the city). Taino Period The Port-au-Prince area was part of the.
Direct Spanish rule over the area having been established, Ovando founded a settlement not far from the coast (west of Etang Saumâtre), ironically named Santa Maria de la Paz Verdadera, which would be abandoned.
While the first French presence in Hôpital, the region later to contain Port-au-Prince was that of the flibustiers; as the region became a real French colony, the colonial administration began to worry about the.
By then, the colonial administration was convinced that a capital needed to be chosen, in order to better control the French portion of Hispaniola (Saint-Domingue).
Most of the central historic area of the city was destroyed, including Haiti's prized Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince, the capital building, Legislative Palace (the parliament building), Palace of Justice (Supreme Court building), several ministerial buildings.
Aid was delivered to Port-au-Prince by numerous nations and voluntary groups as part of a global relief effort.
Worth seeing
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Capital city in Haiti
Capital city in Haiti is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Port-au-Prince planning base 3
Port-au-Prince planning base 3 is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Port-au-Prince planning base 4
Port-au-Prince planning base 4 is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Port-au-Prince planning base 5
Port-au-Prince planning base 5 is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Port-au-Prince planning base 6
Port-au-Prince planning base 6 is a practical Port-au-Prince planning anchor: compare its location, transfer time, nearby hotel bases and event timing before you lock the day plan.
Stay overview
Compare Port-au-Prince before booking Port-au-Prince hotels. Start with the places you will repeat most, then check airport timing, parking, nightly price and event demand before choosing the final base.
Hotels & areas
Compare accommodation options in and around Port-au-Prince by area, not only by nightly price. A cheaper room can become expensive when airport transfers, parking, attraction routes, late arrivals or event-week demand add time and cost.
Compare stays in Port-au-Prince, HaitiFlights & airports
Main airport TBC arrival plan
- Port-au-Prince airport accessMain gateway TBC.
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Rental cars
Port-au-Prince day-trip car use
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Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best time to visit
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Transport notes
Choose a base around the trips you will repeat most: airport, station, old town, waterfront, venue district or day-trip route.
Crowds
Prices can jump around festivals, conventions, school holidays, cruise days, ski weeks, race weekends and large sports events.
Booking detail
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Upcoming events
No upcoming Port-au-Prince events in the shared event index yet.